Canadian Man Sentenced For Sextortion Of Contra Costa County Minor

A 25-year-old man from Gulf Island, Canada, has been sentenced to prison for sexually extorting a minor in Contra Costa County in 2020, in what is commonly referred to as a “Sextortion” attack.

In the fall of 2019, Nicholas Fahey used a social media application to contact a minor in Contra Costa County and solicited sexually explicit images from the victim. After the victim complied, Fahey sent the victim a series of threats, indicating he would release the images of the victim
unless the victim complied with his demands for more photographs.

The investigation was referred to the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Fahey was identified as the suspect through an investigation of his social media accounts. Ultimately, the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police arrested Fahey at his home in Bay Bulls, Canada, located in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Fahey was charged on May 21, 2021, in Canada’s version of Superior Court.

On January 23, 2025, Fahey was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Fahey will also serve a term of three years of supervised release.

“This investigation highlights the shared commitment of the ICAC Task Force and HSI to pursue criminals, even those operating beyond U.S. borders,” said District Attorney Diana Becton. “Parents need to understand that individuals who prey on minors online are not restricted by
national or state boundaries. Those who use the internet to harm our youth should know that my office will collaborate with law enforcement agencies like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to seek justice for the victims in our county.”

Sextortion is the most common crime targeting children on social media. According to the FBI, between 2021 and 2023, 12,600 children in the United States were victims of sextortion, resulting in at least 20 suicides.